What’s Up in the March Sky
By Tony Faddoul |
March Evening Planets
Venus will be up after sunset until 8 PM in the second half of March, close to the horizon in Pisces the Fish, while Mercury will be in Pisces the Fish until 8 PM in the middle week of the month. Uranus is in Pisces the Fish until 9 PM.
March Evening Stars
The Winter Triangle will be up until 11 PM this month: Sirius, the brightest star viewed from Earth, is in Canis Major the Great Dog; Betelgeuse is in Orion the Hunter; and Procyon is in Canis Minor the Small Dog. Spot Capella in Auriga the Charioteer, Spica in Virgo the Maiden, Arcturus in Boötes the Herds-man, Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull, and bright Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins.
Also find the stars of constellations Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, Leo, Hydra, Draco, Hercules, and Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the Big and Little Dippers).
March Morning Planets
Mars could be viewed as of 2 AM until sunrise moving between Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer and Sagittarius the Archer. Jupiter can be seen in Libra the Scales from midnight until sunrise. Saturn and Pluto will be in Sagittarius the Archer as of 3 AM, lingering until sunrise.
March Morning Stars
The Summer Triangle of Vega in Lyra the Harp, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in Aquila the Eagle will be up until sunrise. Look for reddish Antares in Scorpius the Scorpion, Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins, Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman, and Spica in Virgo the Maiden, along with the stars of constellations Leo, Hercules, Libra, Cancer, Cassiopeia, Ophiuchus, Cepheus, Draco, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor.
March “Skylights”
March 1 Full Moon at 7:50 PM
March 8 Saturn, Mars, the Moon and Jupiter are lined up, pre-dawn
March 9 Third Quarter Moon at 6:20 AM
March 11 Moon at apogee (251,500 miles away)
March 15 Mercury at greatest Eastern elongation
March 17 New Moon at 9:11 AM
March 20 Vernal Equinox at 12:15 PM
March 24 First Quarter Moon at 11:35 AM
March 26 Moon at perigee (229,100 miles away)
March 31 Full Moon, Blue Moon at 8:36 PM
